[Ichthyology • 2017] Buenia massutii • A New Species of Buenia (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the western Mediterranean Sea

A new miniature gobiid species,Buenia massutii sp. nov. (Teleostei: Gobiidae) is described from the circalittoral bottom off the Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean. Phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial COI-barcoding fragment supports its species-level distinctiveness and the monophyly of the genus Buenia. A description and diagnosis of the genus Buenia is for the first time provided. Material of the new species was collected in 57–67 m depth from beam trawl samples carried out on red algae beds. The traits that differentiate the new species from two congeneric species are: anterior oculoscapular canal only semiclosed with pores σ, λ, κ, ω, α, ρ and additional pores and open furrows from interorbital part to pore ρ; posterior oculoscapular canal absent; suborbital row c with 5 papillae; scales in lateral series 26–28; pectoral fin rays 16; the second spine of the first dorsal fin the longest, reaching to or behind posterior end of the second dorsal fin in males when folded down; pelvic fin anterior membrane one sixth or less of length of spinous ray in midline depth; head length 31.2–32.5% of standard length; eye 32.8–35.7% of head length; caudal fin length 21.5–24.0% of standard length.

Etymology. The species is named massutii after Dr. Enric Massutí, researcher of the Instituto Español de Oceanografía in the Centre Oceanogràfic de les Balears, in recognition for his dedication to the study of the benthic habitats in the circalittoral bottoms of the Balearic Islands.

Marcelo Kovačić, Frances Ordines and Ulrich K. Schliewen. 2017. A New Species of Buenia (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the western Mediterranean Sea, with the Description of this Genus. Zootaxa. 4250(5); 447–460. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4250.5.3